Monthly Archives: May 2016

I’m a businesswoman, too 🙂 As I’m sure all my fellow indie authors (published and aspiring) have already discovered, no one is going to manage your writing career but you. The sooner you embrace this fact and accept it, the better lol.

Sharing your work with the world reaches far beyond simply crafting a story; you have to also find savvy ways to let others know your work exists. It took me a long time to find my rhythm. I started my writing journey quite… haphazardly. Yes, that’s a good word for it. Publishing my first book consisted of very little thought where marketing was concerned because I was such a novice. I, literally, spent a few days researching how to self-publish and then just went for it. No planning, no preparation whatsoever, just went for it. Thank God people saw potential in the story and purchased and shared their thoughts about the book with others. Had it not been for that, Gravity, would’ve just faded into the abyss. Makes me shudder when I think of how it could’ve gone, but there would’ve been no one to blame but myself.

Here’s my story:

I finished my first full-length book in 2009 not knowing I didn’t need a big publisher behind me. To me, that was the only way to go. So, cut to me spending hours at a time researching publishers and literary agents I thought might be interested in my particular style of writing. I sent countless email messages and snail-mail inquiries hoping just ONE of them would see the commercial potential in my work and contact me.

Yeah… that never happened lol.

Interracial and African-American Romance are niches within the romance genre and I suspect part of the problem was that my work wasn’t mainstream enough in publishers’ eyes; therefore, they likely thought it would be a hard sell. In other words, they may not have been sure the effort to find an audience for my books would have been worth the trouble. But don’t cry for me just yet! I’m actually okay with that! Had I not been rejected, I would’ve never known the joy of being in business for myself.

In fall of 2013 I was a stay-at-home mom/aunt who, all of a sudden, found herself kid-free during the day. My three kidlets and two nephews (whom I took care of during the day) had all officially started school and I made preparations to return to the workforce. I accepted a job offer for a high-paying position that I thought was the job of my dreams, but it was my husband who helped me see the light. He loved the idea of me staying home to pursue my writing career. Naturally, I thought he was insane for even suggesting it lol. I mean… I was offered the job of my dreams, remember? He was quite persuasive, though. His belief in me caused me to take a second-look. When I did, I couldn’t believe the conclusion I came to, but, long story short, I passed up the job offer and chose to spend my days doing what I love the most–writing.

The rest is history, I guess 😀

Now, here I am roughly two and a half years later, still doing what I love and earning a living at the same time. I’m contacted often by writers who have the same goal in mind and I offer whatever advice I can to help them. The last thing I want is for someone to encounter one of the same roadblocks I did and quit because of it. So, in an effort to aid fellow authors in achieving their dreams, too, I’ve decided to lend myself as a writing/publishing consultant. Whether you’re still in the plotting phase or you’re ready to release your first (or fifth) “book baby” to the world, I want to help you!

I study my craft and the writing industry almost as much as I write. As a result, I’ve garnered a wealth of knowledge I’d love to share. With eleven novels currently published, I aim to advise others on the “do’s” and “don’ts” I’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re just looking to publish your books and don’t really have any expectations where potential earnings are concerned or you want to delve into this as your full-time gig, I want to take the next step with you. If you’re interested in gaining insight into the world of writing, complete the form below to tell me more about your specific needs and where you are in the writing/publishing phase. Once you’ve submitted your responses, I’ll be in touch to set up an appointment to discuss things further 🙂